Last Salute
by Winged Senea
Summary: Pre-Game. Oneshot. After staying with the knights for only three months, Yuri has had enough of it and leaves them behind. Which left Flynn behind, as much as he didn't want to. How does Flynn take it? Non-Yaoi! Friendship fic


Senea: So, another oneshot/ One that's happy! YAY! Ahem...So, I got to wondering how Flynn took to Yuri quitting the knights...And I bet he didn't take it very well. And, since The First Strike is coming out soon! (Preordered the Bluray for costumes . ANd has the fanbook....The title is even from the soundtrack I have.) I though I would get this idea out of the way. I would like the thank Baby Kat Snophlake for being a great and wonderful beta and tolerating me for so long on this one. This was my first time using a beta...which you probably can tell and she helped out so much so thanks Kat! And on with the friendship 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing! I am a FAN!

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**Last Salute**

Yuri looked up at the stars he could see past the barrier and smiled. He sat upon the lower quarter's fountain for the first time in a month and was thoroughly enjoying a moment of peace and not being in a uniform anymore. He scratched his newly acquired puppy, Repede's ear as he slept on his lap, curled up in a small ball.

Only a few days had past since he left the knights to return to his old life in the lower quarter, leaving his friend, Flynn, all by himself in dealing with the Empire and its politics. Yuri knew better than to tell his friend face-to-face that he was quitting, the argument they would start would result in Flynn's obvious victory in making Yuri stay. So he wrote down a letter and left it on his pillow before Flynn got back from his patrol. Since he hadn't heard anything from him, Yuri guessed Flynn accepted it and was probably on another mission glad to be rid of his raven-haired friend.

"Yuri Lowell!!"

Yuri sighed, he spoke to soon. Turning from his view of the sky to the lower quarter entrance, he spotted a tuft of blonde hair and a uniformed soldier tromping over to the fountain. The noise woke up Repede and he barked, his ears alert as he watched the newcomer advance towards him and his new master. Once Flynn was closer, the puppy jumped off of his bed, he knew better than to stay in the vicinity of Yuri at that moment. The anger radiating from the knight was more than enough to know that staying there would be harmful to anyone's well being.

"Hey, Flynn. How've you been?" Yuri asked, smiling at his companion.

"How've I been?! How have I _BEEN_?!" Flynn marched towards Yuri, clenching a piece of paper in one of his fists. Yuri could only guess that it was his letter he made to his friend a couple of days back. To prove him right, Flynn brought the paper to Yuri's face, too close for the ex-knight to read. "'Hey Flynn, I'm quitting the knights. Behave yourself and don't look under anymore skirts. Later, Yuri.'" He took back the paper from Yuri's face as he glared at him. "No apology? No reasons? Not even a lousy post script? Just _'I'm quitting the knights, later_' and you thought that was enough?!"

"Uh...yes?" He leaned back, trying to get a little farther from the seething knight, but he was still sitting on the fountain and had little where else to go with Flynn standing over him. Before he could decide on an escape route, Flynn yelled, and Yuri felt something come into contact with the side of his head before he was submerged into cold water head first. A small surge of panic coursed in him as he struggled to get out and breathe again. He gasped for air a second later, coughing slightly from some water he swallowed going in. "Damn it, Flynn, what the _hell_?" He placed his hands on the fountain's floor, keeping his head from being submerged again. His legs dangling on the ledge where he used to sit. He quickly got out of the fountain and glared at his friend. "You didn't have to nearly drown me just because you're upset!"

"You're right." Flynn said, all too calmly for Yuri's liking. The blonde began to crack his knuckles. "I'm just going to punch your lights out and drag your sorry ass back to the knights!" He lunged forward for another attack on the other which Yuri only barely dodged the flying fists.

"Heh. Well you can try!" Yuri said, knowing that would get Flynn slightly more pissed then he was already. But oh well, he loved doing that to his friend. Flynn made it so easy.

Flynn started forward. He rounded a punch that Yuri dodged, using his own arm to jab Flynn in the stomach. He staggered. Yuri swung his other arm to meet Flynn's face but missed, slamming into the metal armour instead. He felt the shocks run up and down his arm and he back-stepped.

"Damn it, that hurt." He muttered, shaking his hand free from the pain.

He didn't get much time for that as Flynn went for him. He feinted a left swing and squared Yuri with a jab to the side. Flynn raised his knee but Yuri spun around, avoiding it. His damp, heavy hair whipped across Flynn's face, blinding him. Yuri sent a high kick to the Flynn's side and he lurched. He dodged a fist and swept an outstrecthed arm that collided with Yuri's back. Using it to anchor the other, Flynn added another punch but Yuri was ready. He moved his head and grabbed Flynn's arm, ramming a fist into his gut. With an added kick to the side, Yuri back-stepped away.

The ex-knight eyed the other carfeully, waiting for any sudden moves that could result in more injury. His hand still twitched from hitting the hard armour. Hopefully his hand wasn't broken.

"Why did you leave the knights?" Flynn glared at him as he paused in his attack.

"Oh, so you beat me up first and then interrogate me? You're definitely one of the knights now, Flynn. Congratulations"

Flynn charged at him with another fist, but Yuri blocked it with his good arm. "Just answer the question!" He snapped.

Yuri looked over at Flynn from a slightly safer distance and sighed. "The knights aren't right for me, Flynn, that's all."

Flynn rolled his eyes despite himself. "It takes more then just a few measly months to--"

"_To_ what, exactly_?_" Yuri said. "To see them let more criminals walk away if they have enough money? How they won't do a damn thing to someone who's suffering in front of their own eyes if they won't get a reward?"

"So the exact same reason why we joined is the reason you're also leaving?"

"That's not it at all!"

"So then what the hell is?"

"Flynn I tried to work it out." Yuri brushed his hands through his damp hair. "I took the orders, the drills, the guard duty, the punishments, the whole damn thing so that it might get better. But it didn't." Yuri shook his head. "All the officers saw I was a lost cause and nothing could change their mind. I'm not someone they would want to promote and lead troops. They would need someone like you, Flynn. And I can't be like that."

Flynn thought for a moment, his jaw clenching and relaxing. He shook his head. "No, there's got to be another way."

"Just admit it Flynn, you lost." Yuri spoke the truth and now his friend was just being stupid. "I'm not going back to the Knights! There's no way in hell you're getting me back there, so stop being a stubborn--"

"Idiot!" Flynn shouted, swinging another fist near Yuri's face, causing the other to lose his balance. "You selfish jerk! You... you stupid bastard!" With a new surge of energy, he lunged at his friend and the two fell hard onto the cobblestone ground.

Yuri looked up from his position on the ground to see Flynn on top of him, clenching his shirt's collar with one hand and raising another armored fist that looked like it would really hurt if it came in contact with him. As he saw it coming down, he closed his eyes. Yuri heard the fist come into contact with something else and felt his ear stinging slightly. Confused, Yuri opened his eyes.

Flynn's arm was ground into the ground just at Yuri's ear. "You promised." He mumbled, tightening his grip on the ex-knights shirt. "You promised we would change things from the inside out. That we would help people from the lower quarter. And now... and now you just walked away from all of that? Like it meant nothing to you?"

Yuri sighed. "Of course it meant something, and I'm glad we were able to help a lot of people that normally wouldn't get any help. But the way it's done is too strict for my tastes. Sometimes it takes too long for help to arrive and..." He trailed off, watching his friend's shoulders slump. "It's not like I'm leaving Zaphias or anything." Yuri continued. "Quitting the knights isn't the end of the world, Flynn, just an end to something I didn't want to do. You can still come to the lower quarter and I can still bug you up at the barracks, right?" He looked back at the other and from his slightly pouting face and glaring eyes, Yuri knew that Flynn was relenting. For a change. "So, then, there's not much of a problem."

Flynn sighed in defeat, loosening his death grip on Yuri's collar. "I guess your right."

A cat like grin spread across Yuri's face. "Damn straight." Another glare appeared on Flynn's face and he removed his grin. It was too early for his victory. "Flynn?"

"What?"

"Can...I get up now?"

Flynn blinked, realizing that he was still holding Yuri down on the ground. "Oh, right." He said, rolling himself off of his friend and back onto the cobblestone.

After the two got up, they managed to stumble over to the fountain's ledge, both sore and too tired to go anywhere else for a while. Repede returned from hiding and jumped up to lie down beside Yuri and went fast asleep. Flynn adjusted some part of his armour and Yuri just watched with slight boredom, glad he didn't have to deal with that anymore. The armor clinked itself together and Flynn sighed, resting his hands on his lap. They fell into a comforting silence, the only noise coming from the water from the fountain.

"...Yuri?"

"Yeah?"

Flynn paused, not really wanting to ask this question. "There really isn't a way to make you come back," Flynn said, looking up at the night sky, watching the stars twinkle in the dark. "is there?"

Yuri rubbed his sore hand, a small smile on his face. "Not a chance."

He closed his eyes, smiling as well. "Heh. I thought as much."

"You thought as much?" Yuri repeated, frowning slightly. "Then what was all _that_ for?"

Flynn stretched his arms past his head before resting them beside him on the fountain's ledge "Oh, I just needed to burn some energy. And since I was still angry with you, you seemed like the perfect target." Yuri shoved the knight, making him tumble towards the water. "Whoa!" He grabbed onto the ledge before he fell into the water and pulled himself up, glaring at his friend who had a smug smirk on his face. "What?" He asked, still smiling.

"You, Flynn Scifo, are a jackass."

"At least I'm not a quitter."

"Ha ha, looks like you got me there."

The two fell into another set of silence, enjoying each others company for a few moments longer before Flynn got up from the ledge. He looked towards the staircase that led back to the royal quarter, back to where he would be for a long time. "...Guess I'll see you around then."

Yuri avoided looking back at his friend and instead went back to looking up at the stars. "Guess so." He heard Flynn's metal boots clank away as they headed towards the exit. He was really glad there was no more armour, it made it too easy for enemies to tell you were coming.

When Yuri finally turned around, he could no longer see his friend but he held no worries. They may have been going on their own paths from now on, but they could still count on each other. At least one thing didn't change.

**End**

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Senea: Annnnd that's it :3 I know the First Strike will have a totally different version to this but I thought of it and decided to go for it. Thanks again to Baby Kat Snophlake for beating this again. It's a 1000 times better than what was here first. I would love to get some reviews on this to see what people think.


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